Bootleg
Journey to the Promised Land: Tales of Whiskey, Hills, and Redemption
Lyrics
I’m going back to the promised land
Expresses the speaker's intention to return to a place of promise or prosperity.
Where the creek turns back in the holler in Tennessee
Describes the specific location in Tennessee where the speaker is heading.
I tried to drink myself to death in Oklahoma
Shares the speaker's past struggles in Oklahoma, attempting to escape through excessive drinking.
But the whiskey wasn’t strong enough for me
Indicates that the speaker found the whiskey in Oklahoma insufficient to fulfill their needs.
I’ve been ramblin’ for a thousand miles
Highlights the extensive travels of the speaker over a considerable distance.
Trying to gamble my way back to the county line
Expresses the speaker's attempt to rely on gambling to return to a familiar territory.
I get to drinking and eating them pills
Describes the speaker's reliance on alcohol and pills.
Make my way on up to the Tennessee hills
Details the journey toward the Tennessee hills through substance use.
Drinking that bootleg, appalachian gold
Refers to consuming bootleg alcohol, specifically highlighting its Appalachian origin.
Hillbilly fire, that real McCoy
Describes the intense and authentic nature of the bootleg alcohol, using "Hillbilly fire" and "real McCoy."
I’d see seven stars on the Cherokee County line
Recalls a specific experience with the appearance of seven stars on the Cherokee County line.
That’s it boys, I’m drinking corn whiskey tonight
Declares the speaker's decision to indulge in corn whiskey on this particular night.
Daddy was a preacher, but he’d go out at night
Reveals information about the speaker's father being a preacher with a tendency to engage in vices.
He’s a good man but he never really liked to do the Lord right
Highlights the moral complexities of the speaker's father, who struggled to adhere to religious principles.
He’d get to drinking and eating them pills
Shares the father's involvement in drinking and pill consumption.
I remember when my daddy showed me how to work a liquor still
Recalls a moment from the speaker's childhood when their father taught them the process of operating a liquor still.
Making that bootleg, appalachian gold
Reiterates the theme of bootlegging, emphasizing its connection to Appalachian culture.
Hillbilly fire, that real McCoy
Uses vivid language to describe the intensity and authenticity of the bootleg alcohol.
I’d see seven stars on the Cherokee County line
Recalls another instance of seeing seven stars on the Cherokee County line.
That’s it boys, I’m drinking corn whiskey tonight
Confirms the speaker's intention to consume corn whiskey on the current night.
Well I quit drinking, back in ‘95
Reveals a significant life event where the speaker stopped drinking in 1995 but switched to beer for survival.
I had to switch to beer just to stay alive
Explains the necessity of transitioning to beer as a means of preserving the speaker's life.
But I keep a jar underneath my bed
Mentions the speaker's secret stash of alcohol beneath their bed for occasional consumption.
So I can have one more swig before I wind up dead
Expresses the speaker's desire for one last swig before potential death.
Drinking that bootleg, appalachian gold
Revisits the theme of drinking bootleg alcohol, connecting it to Appalachian culture.
Hillbilly fire, that real McCoy
Uses vivid language to describe the intense and authentic nature of the bootleg alcohol.
I’d see seven stars on the Cherokee County line
Recalls seeing seven stars on the Cherokee County line once again.
That’s it boys, I’m drinking corn whiskey tonight
Declares the speaker's definitive decision to drink corn whiskey on the current night.
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